Advanced Clinical System Consulting Services
The consulting professionals within the MEDITECH Solutions Group has worked, and continues to work closely with MEDITECH to prepare and perfect consulting solutions that are specifically designed to ensure the success of MEDITECH hospitals that are embarking on the implementation of one or more applications within the Advanced Clinical System (ACS) portfolio.
We have employed senior consultants who maintain in-depth MEDITECH software expertise that is coupled with extensive hospital-based operational experience. As former caregivers, ancillary department leaders, and computer-based technology professionals, our consultants (equipped with proven methods and tool sets) bring a seasoned ability to effectively collaborate with our clients. We help hospitals achieve optimal results and maximize their ROI on any MEDITECH ACS investment.
Our Patient Safety/Advanced Clinical Services include
- Readiness Assessment and Planning
- Physician and Clinician Adoption
- Process Redesign
- Strategic Planning and Project Management
- Implementation Services
- Optimization Services
Advanced Clinical System (ACS) Readiness Assessment and Planning
A Readiness Assessment is instrumental in building the foundation for a successful implementation of the MEDITECH Advanced Clinical System (ACS) suite of applications. A Readiness Assessment is used as a tool in helping organizations to plan and prepare their ACS Strategy including; the sequencing and timing of MEDITECH ACS module implementation, resource and budgetary preparation, and the process changes that need to be considered. The MEDITECH Solutions Group within Dell Services utilizing ADOPTS methodology provides an ACS Readiness Assessment that encompasses six key domains in measuring the hospital’s degree of readiness:
- Governance and Leadership Structure
- Process Redesign
- Change Management
- Clinician Participation and Adoption
- Benefits Realization
- Technology Implementation
The ADOPTS methodology encompasses a framework of six key phases: Assess, Design, Optimize, Prepare, Transform, and Sustain.
The assessment serves to answer important questions such as: What does my organization need to consider from a planning perspective and how does this plan fit into my overall organizational strategy from a timing, resource, and budgetary perspective? What are the risks to the organization in each of the domains above? How significant are those risks? What is going well and what are the organizational strengths upon which to build? What short and long term action plans are needed to mitigate the risks and leverage the strengths?
Readiness Assessments are customized to reflect the organization’s unique profile but a typical assessment would be achieved through the following:
- On-site interviews with stakeholders including executive management, clinicians and physicians, and IT
- Utilization of InfoTool, a tool that is utilized to gather feedback from all level within the organization allowing for insight into key stakeholders’ and end-users’ perspectives and concerns
- Assessment of the organization’s change management strategy
- Evaluation of clinician and physician adoption rates in the use and acceptance of technology and other change drivers such as leadership structure, commitment, communication, workflow, and training
- Review of operational processes and opportunities for clinical process redesign
- Assessment of staffing levels and skills matrix to support MEDITECH’s ACS
- Review of the ACS vision and communication strategy to ensure it is a shared vision among stakeholders
- Review and analysis of MEDITECH core applications and module optimization
- Review of mobile technology strategy including handhelds, tablets, workstations on wheels, etc.
- Industry expertise regarding best practices specific to MEDITECH
The ACS Readiness Assessment is approximately eight to twelve weeks. During that time, the MEDITECH Solutions Group within Dell Services provides a team of specialists hat are well versed and experienced in the MEDITECH suite of clinical applications.
Deliverables:
The Readiness Assessment deliverables critical to a successful ACS implementation include but are not limited to the following:
- Domain Scorecard: an overall score (1-5) that encompasses the six key individual domains: governance structure, operational processes and redesign, change management, clinician and physician adoption, benefits realization, and technology
- Governance and Leadership Analysis and Recommendations: a review of the executive leadership involvement, project oversight, and the governance structure associated with the ACS implementation
- Process Redesign Analysis: identifications and definition of the risks associated with the current state processes with best practice recommendations for future state design
- Change Management Analysis and Recommendations: a review of the organization’s cultural readiness state that considers a historical review of change management procedures and way forward recommendations
- Clinician Participation and Adoption Analysis: an analysis of current clinician and physician adoption to ensure that a carefully orchestrated methodology is in place to engage healthcare providers in optimizing system functionality
- Benefits Realization Analysis: an analysis and recommendations for a benefits program that includes measurement and monitoring in areas such as safety/quality, clinical adoption, operational efficiencies, return on investment, and evidence based decision making
- Technology Implementation Analysis and Recommendations: an analysis of the core applications and recommendations for focus areas; a review and recommendations for mobile strategy; resource requirements respective to ACS
- ACS Roadmap and Timeline: in collaboration with MEDITECH and the organization a roadmap and timeline created that outlines the strategy and sequencing of the MEDITECH clinical suite of applications
Advanced Clinical System (ACS) Physician and Clinician Adoption
The adoption of clinical applications by physicians and other clinicians is a critical step to realize and fully leverage the power of MEDITECH’s Advanced Clinical System (ACS). The MEDITECH Solutions Group within Dell Services utilizes ADOPTS methodology to facilitate acceptance and adoption by physicians and other caregivers by emphasizing and integrating four primary areas into our approach:
- Benefit Realization
- Change Management
- Application Training
- Project Management
Our approach to Clinician Participation and Adoption (CPA) is customized to reflect the healthcare organization’s unique profile, but a typical selection of activities would include:
- On-site interviews with stakeholders including executive management, physician, executives, medical staff, and other clinicians
- Review of current functionality and potential integration benefits and issues, analysis of the readiness for changes to processes, and a clinician needs analysis
- Development of a physician/clinician governance infrastructure to oversee ACS design
- Identification of opportunities to optimize software, incorporate best practice, and achieve process improvement
- A benefits realization assessment that focuses on identifying value for physicians/clinicians
- Identification, development, deployment, management, and monitoring of clinical content that supports physician practice and clinical decision making
- Evaluation of training requirements and development of training plans to educate clinicians
- Evaluation of redesigned physician processes to discover any gaps or changes that must be addressed to further mitigate any risks that may negatively impact clinician adoption
- Recommendations for support of clinicians during system activation and new process implementation
- Maintenance of physician adoption goals and effective practice changes that were designed into the new system
- Validation of metrics compiled in the initial benefit realization assessment, completion of follow-up measurements post-implementation, and analysis of the results
The Clinician Participation and Adoption activities are comprehensive and relate to all phases of a major implementation. An engagement that assists in only the preimplementation phases may be 4-8 weeks and a CPA engagement that spans the entire implementation and post-live may be 6-8 months in duration. During that time, the MEDITECH Solutions Group within Dell Services provides a team of specialists that are well versed and experienced in the MEDITECH suite of clinical applications.
Deliverables:
The Clinician Participation and Adoption deliverables critical to a successful ACS implementation include but are not limited to the following:
- A Clinician Participation Adoption Plan based on facilitated work sessions of all stakeholders
- Structured project planning tools and methodology
- Implementation and training strategies that include focus areas for clinical adoption, training concepts and materials, and technology requirements
- Recommendations for internal and external communication and marketing plans
Advanced Clinical System (ACS) Process Redesign
Process Redesign is a strategic initiative to improve the quality, cost, and safety of patient care by redesigning manual processes for greater efficiency and supporting them with new technologies and improved processes. The MEDITECH Solutions Group within Dell Services utilizes ADOPTS methodology to provide organizations with a reliable approach that focuses on clinical content, system functionality, and processes to ensure their technology investment is delivering the highest possible results.
The ADOPTS methodology encompasses a framework of six key phases: Assess, Design, Optimize, Prepare, Transform, and Sustain. We work with healthcare organizations that are about to embark on a MEDITECH Advanced Clinical System (ACS) implementation, or other major technological projects, to first examine their existing processes for opportunities to change, add, or eliminate any steps that are no longer adding value. It has been our experience that without this process redesign, investments in information technology will have less than satisfactory results. If the new technology is primarily used to automate current processes, you will still have sub-optimal processes; they will just be faster.
Our methodology promotes the key attributes of successful Process Redesign:
- Protection: Risks associated with poorly designed workflows are minimized or eliminated
- Utilization: Solution functionality is utilized as an adjunct to eliminate non value added workflow processes thereby increasing clinician and patient satisfaction
- Reduction: Waste and variation associated with less than optimal current processes is reduced or eliminated
- Provision: Better outcomes are provided in care delivery processes
- Capture, storage, and standardization: Clinical content is captured, stored, and standardized at the point of entry for long-term reporting, greater efficiency, and outcomes trending
- On-site interviews and structured workshops with stakeholders including executive management, clinicians, physicians, and IT
- Review of current functionality and identification of processes requiring change
- Development of a clinical governance structure to oversee ACS design and the clinical redesign process
- Identification of opportunities to optimize software and incorporate best practices while achieving process improvement
- Assessment of benefits realization potential that focuses on identifying value for the selected process changes
- Development of a scorecard designed to assist the organization in measuring the degree of organizational change
Our Process Redesign activities are comprehensive and relate to all phases of a major implementation. An engagement that assists in only the pre-implementation phases may be 4-8 weeks or a Process Redesign that spans the entire implementation and post-live may be 6-8 months or more in duration. During that time we provide a team of specialists that are well versed and experienced in the MEDITECH suite of clinical applications.
Deliverables:
The Process Redesign deliverables critical to a successful ACS implementation include but are not limited to the following:
- A Process Redesign strategy and plan based on workflow, content, and MEDITECH Advanced Clinical System functionality that:
- Identifies barriers and issues, areas of rework and risk in current state, and opportunities for improvement Improves operational efficiencies through the redesign of patient care processes, patient care forms, and nursing documentation tools
- Integrates performance improvement and care process redesign
- Integrates patient care workflow with training
- Improves operational efficiencies through the redesign of processes, order sets rules, protocols, and alerts
- Identifies benefits with regards to patients, physicians, financial, labor, best practices, safety, and compliance
- Structured multi-disciplinary workshops that include impacted stakeholders such as executive management, physician executives, medical staff, nurses, and end-users in other clinical areas
- Implementation strategies that include focus areas for governance structure, clinical adoption, change management, benefits realization, and technology requirements
- A scorecard that assists organizations in monitoring and measuring their process changes and the benefits associated
- Recommendations for internal and external communication and marketing strategies
Advanced Clinical System (ACS) Strategic Planning and Project Management
Careful planning and project management are critical to ensure a smooth implementation of MEDITECH's Advanced Clinical System and support of physicians and other clinicians. Leveraging our intimate understanding of MEDITECH's applications, the MEDITECH Solutions Group has perfected the methodologies and tools you need to develop and build an ACS plan complete with prioritized recommendations, timelines, and projected costs. We start by fully understanding your needs and goals and customize a detailed road map to get you there. And we can help you create and present the plan to key decision makers as well.
Once the plan is approved, we can help you stay on track. Our project managers are seasoned professionals who utilize proven methodologies to efficiently guide the success of your Advanced Clinical System project, identifying and eliminating potential problems along the way. Whether managing the project or coaching your internal project manager, we work hand-in-hand with your staff, transferring our extensive knowledge to enhance your in-house capabilities and ensure alignment of projected outcomes to your specific goals.
Our Strategic Planning and Project Management Services include
- Chartering and scoping of the project to clearly outline expected outcomes, team participants, governance, and oversight along with sponsorship.
- Work plan development and management to clearly outline the set of tasks and activities to be accomplished
- Issue management to capture, document, escalate, and resolve issues
- Preparation of regular status reports to executive sponsors, project auditors, and others as appropriate
- Facilitation of various meetings and other communications as needed to support project
- Oversight to IT functions outside of applications (network, infrastructure, security administration, Help Desk, ad hoc reporting)
- A strong working relationship between facility and MEDITECH
For more information on how we can help your organization with ACS Strategic Planning and Project Management Services, email us at meditechsolutions@dell.com.
Advanced Clinical System (ACS) Implementation Services
Our vast experience with MEDITECH and countless MEDITECH organizations has provided us the knowledge and ability to successfully implement MEDITECH's Advanced Clinical System applications. We'll help you leverage the value of your applications and ensure user buy-in by aligning your clinical processes, assessing the need for technology changes, assisting with application set-up, testing, training, and providing Go-Live and post Go-Live support.
The MEDITECH Solutions Group offers you the experience and expertise to identify all considerations and implement your ACS modules successfully. For starters, we have more experience with MEDITECH and its applications than anyone else. We've also worked with virtually every type of healthcare organization--single and multi-entity hospitals - both small and large, physician practices, homecare, long-term facilities--so we understand the impact on workflow and your operation as a whole. Along the way, we've learned how important it is to customize our services to the unique situation of each organization. We'll work with you to design and implement your Advanced Clinical modules that best leverage MEDITECH to support your operational needs and improve your efficiency.
Our ACS Implementation Services Includes
- Guidance and rationale for dictionary building strategies
- Meeting with designated Implementation Team to ensure and understanding of established roles and responsibilities
- Identification of workflow opportunities and process improvement through the use of information technology
- Assistance with application and integrated testing plan
- Assistance with training plan and strategies that take into consideration resources, schedules, equipment, space, etc.
- Super-user and end-user training to ensure transfer of knowledge
- Development of Go-Live plan and checklist
- Post-Live follow-up and transition plan
For more information on how we can help your organization with ACS Implementation Services, email us at meditechsolutions@dell.com.
Advanced Clinical System Optimization Services
Maximizing the functionality of your MEDITECH Advanced Clinical System applications can reduce costs and improve quality of care, but it requires thorough knowledge of the applications and the ability to identify where they are being underutilized. Often we work with organizations whose core teams of super users have moved on in their careers or whose system has not been maintained for a variety of reasons. Our consultants within the MEDITECH Solutions Group are second to none in their ability to recognize inefficiencies and determine what options are available to improve and redesign your existing system. We keep abreast of the latest technologies and best practices in all areas of patient safety. We can help healthcare organizations get back on track and leverage the full potential of their MEDITECH System.
Our ACS Optimization Services include
- Identification of patient safety opportunities and options, such as positive patient identification and bedside medication verification
- Education and review of the latest functionality (NUR, CPOE, PHA, LAB, OE, ITS, PtCt, LTC)
- Assistance with planning and preparation for adding the advanced clinical applications
- Recommendation of best practices and workflow improvements
- Dictionary review, clean-up, and integration with ancillary applications
- Evaluation of current IT operations and customer support
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